


Unmasked

by Identiaetslos



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Battle Couple, Cyborgs and aliens kissing on each other and all that wholesome shit, F/F, First Star Wars fic, Fluff, Lesbian Characters, Making Out, Romance, This was an old story idea I've tried to re-create
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 02:29:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15160454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Identiaetslos/pseuds/Identiaetslos
Summary: After months together, bounty hunter Jossryn Nori hasn't revealed her identity to Mako. A bad day in the field on Dromund Kaas sets to change this among other things in their relationship.





	1. Chapter 1

Maybe in another life, Dromund Kaas would be pretty. When the endless wars finally ended. When there was no more need to lug injured bounty hunters through the muck and the two of them could just concentrate on the sound of the rain as it pattered against the ground and the leaves. And maybe against skin instead of armor plating.

It wasn’t the first time Mako found herself with a companion slung over her shoulder. She just didn’t anticipate Jossryn being so damn heavy. Usually it was the other way around in the field, the taller woman lifting her into the air and carrying her to safety with little more than a few parting shots to whoever managed to catch her ire. She never missed either.

At least not until today.

“Getting slow in your old age?” Mako couldn’t help the joke, hoping to fill the silence with some of the wit that the bounty hunter seemed to enjoy.

Jossryn made a noise through labored breaths. “Yeah, I guess we’ll blame it on that,” she replied in a rueful tone and winced as Mako started their ascent to Kaas City.

Blood slowly escaped from a tear in Jossryn’s blast armor. In the dull light of whatever time of day this was, Mako couldn’t tell what color it was. Either red or purple. Maybe blue? Not that either would completely solve the mystery of who was underneath the helmet.

Even though Mako had been at her side for nearly a year and had grown close to whoever she was, she had swallowed curiosity for the sake of maintaining the comfort she enjoyed. Whatever reasons Jossryn chose to keep her face obscured were her own. Perhaps exposure to air would kill her, perhaps she was ashamed of her appearance, perhaps she was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. Was she human? Was she alien?

She had guessed human a while back, but occasionally there were oddities in Jossryn’s behavior that made her question the accuracy of that guess. Knowing what she looked like made no difference when they were being shot at. Jossryn was just as ferocious, and Mako had her back. She couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, or wanting to be with anyone else. Gault had teased her, suggesting she had a crush. Maybe she did. Maybe she had one the moment Jossryn showed up on Hutta. She always did have a thing for height and for uniforms. Especially nice sets of tan blast armor like this one.

Smiling to herself, Mako made her way down a seldom-used alley away from most of the prying eyes. Considering the Great Hunt was still very much not over, letting Jossryn’s competition see her like this would cause more headaches than it would solve. The idea was not to draw more attention, but to get Jossryn to some place safe.

Like the flat at the quiet end of the residential district.

Jossryn was still alive which was good, but her movements and breathing had grown more ragged.

“You there.” The garbled voice of a security droid stopped Mako in her tracks.

She turned around to face it, Jossryn nearly falling from her grasp.

“No, I need you to stay up...” Mako pushed her shoulder underneath Jossryn’s chest plate to keep from falling. The two of them had wandered under an overhang connected to the backside of some hotel allowing some respite from the rain, which also had the affect of no longer washing the blood escaping from her counterpart.

It was blue and dripped from her gloved fingers.

“State your identification.” The droid said, advancing.

Jossryn made a noise that sounded like words and struggled. She wanted to do what Mako asked but it was clear she was just struggling with hanging onto her life. There were two options, one would be to leave Jossryn here with the droid and take a chance on an Imperial medical facility not killing her, or continue onto the flat...somehow.

Mako was an expert field medic in comparison to other bounty hunter outfits out there, but at this stage, she doubted whether Jossryn would actually make it that far. The alternative left just as much of a sour taste.

Previously, Jossryn’s reputation for scruples that went no farther than the credit box made her highly sought after by some of the darkest entities in the Empire. However, since encountering Braden’s group on Hutta, or more like Mako, Mako watched Jossryn grow more selective in both the jobs she took and the decisions she made. As if they suddenly mattered to her.

What changed?

Jossryn gurgled and whispered, “Mako...let me go.”

Now wasn’t the time to ask questions about the bounty hunter’s motivations or her sudden change of heart. The fact was she had one and it was worth saving.

“We need help,” Mako said to the droid. “This woman is an Imperial agent working under cover. She was injured when she was betrayed by another officer. However, I’m the only one that can treat her. You see...I’m under orders, too, and it’s imperative I get her to our stronghold at the end of the residential district.”

“State your identification.” The droid repeated and stopped before her. Its body language suggested that while it was being patient with her, it was unlikely to repeat itself without the press of a trigger. However, it was a simple model in comparison to the predecessors that she and Jossryn had previously encountered. In its efforts to cut costs, the Empire had chosen to “upgrade” its security forces around the settlement with a design that Mako was all too familiar with.

“I have to put you down,” she said quietly to Jossryn and laid her down on the wet concrete while she removed a datapad from her pocket. “My name is Lady Vaniara of the City Planet Anois...” she said, keeping the droid focused while she keyed in a command to bypass the shell protecting its higher functions. “As I said I’m on a mission from the Emperor called Operation Cobra Claw.”

“Operation Cobra Claw...” the droid repeated and then clicked and twitched.

There we go.

“I need to get my companion to our base of operations at the end of the city. As you can see, she’s not doing very well. Can you help us?”

“Please allow me to assist, Lady Vaniara,” the droid said. It holstered its weapon and gently picked Jossryn up in its arms and carried her to the sky taxi.

The taxi droid and a few of the guards looked alarmed and then puzzled.

Shit. She had forgotten about these guys.

This is how it ends right? Mako asked, lifting a grimace as their attention remained on the security droid carrying the bounty hunter in blast armor to the platform and the waiting car. Having no excuses left and a hacking attempt would surely give them away to all of the security cameras and other prying eyes around town, Mako chose to remain quiet and slipped a nearby Sergeant a large sum of credits.

He nodded for them to climb aboard and then laughed at a pair of subordinates. “Just another day on The DK right?” The Sergeant said jokingly as the car took to the sky and disappeared into the depths of the city.

The security droid had agreed to take control of the car, affording Mako the opportunity to see to Jossryn and stabilize her as much as she could. She was still alive, but barely.

“Stay with me,” Mako whispered as Jossryn's head rested in her lap, hoping that a kind smile and a gentle hand even if all it touched was cold, wet metal might be enough to get her through. 

Jossryn said nothing, but somehow Mako got the idea that she enjoyed where she was. Under different circumstances, Mako would have enjoyed it too.

Removing herself from that last thought, Mako turned her attention back to her new friend as he guided the car expertly into the taxi space near the dark, monolithic high rise that both she and Jossryn called home. At this point, the droid would be too much of a liability to risk proceeding further, but Mako conceded that it would be easier to get Jossryn from the car to the apartment with its help.

It also didn’t seem to question or mind that its mind had been freshly hijacked. If anything, the droid seemed all to eager to help as it exited the car and lifted Jossryn into its arms again.

“What’s your designation?” Mako couldn’t help but ask as they boarded a lift and began to ascend.

“RD141-L.” It replied.

"I'll...do my best to remember. Maybe we can come up with something shorter."

 _You never name things._ Braden once scolded her after he caught her trying to name an insect that had been wandering about their hideout for a few days. He had been right. One day, Mako woke up to find her friend gone and the pang of loss all the greater.

Still, the more she regarded their new droid companion, the more reasons she found not to blow it up or push it over a railing.

The elevator stopped on the 63rd floor, the doors parting to a quaint yet sterile-looking landing before the door that led inside. Instinctively, Mako paused and looked around.

“There is no one on this floor except you, Lady Vaniara, your companion, and me.”

“Thank you,” Mako said, appreciating the unsolicited information. Perhaps it was worthwhile to keep RD141-L around longer. She keyed in the door sequence and the door opened to the open living room and kitchen, decorated with gray and black accents similar to the rest of the building.

“Set her down on the bed...” Mako started, pointing in the direction of Jossryn’s bedroom.

“Begging your pardon, Lady Vaniara, this marble precipice would be easier for you to work on your companion,” RD141-L said, moving to the kitchen countertop.

Mako nodded. “You’re right. Set her there, and if you don’t mind...I could use your help.”

“Of course,” the droid replied immediately. “Your wish is my command.”

What had she done to this poor thing? She mused. Not that she was complaining.

The description of this apartment as a lair was a half truth in that both she and Jossryn had the foresight to stockpile everything from weapons and ammunition to medical equipment in the one spare room. Of course, hidden from view. No one entering this small game room could ever guess there were several million credits worth of contraband in here.

Picking out what she needed, Mako hurried back into the main room to where Jossryn lay. Now, here was the part that sent her heart skyrocketing into her brain.

“RD141-L, are you able to scan what’s underneath her armor?” She asked.

“Your companion’s armor is made of a specialized material that is deflecting any scan attempts that are deeper than the surface. However, this set of armor contains no atmospheric or pressure modifiers beyond a suit worn by species that are able to function without impairment in standard planetary environments. Furthermore, I detect the only system currently active is the one providing your companion with small doses of Kolto.”

“Less words, Rudy,” Mako said.

“She will survive if we remove her armor.”

Mako nodded and sucked in air. “No matter what, you aren’t to reveal anything you see here,” Mako said, glancing at the droid.

The droid didn’t respond, but its mouth and eyes illuminated in what Mako guessed was acknowledgment and moved toward Jossryn’s feet while Mako slipped her fingers under the latches keeping the bounty hunter’s tan-colored helmet secure. It was scorched and on closer inspection, slightly dented from the last fight. She was lucky that the shot didn’t go right through, or neither of them would be here right now.

This was a new set, too. She was going to be pissed if she survived. Once this was all over, perhaps Mako would send Rudy out to find someone selling a decent set, or have one made. All that was neither here nor there, not right now.

Pushing against the actuators, Mako heard them pop. Next would be the new wrinkle to their relationship, and the answer to that one question. Pulling the helmet gently off Jossryn’s head, Mako felt a tickle of surprise and pleasure as she looked down at the exotic features of a pale, tattooed and pierced Rattataki woman. She was far more gorgeous than she ever could have pictured.

And unconscious.

“We need to act quickly,” Rudy reminded her, jarring her from her brief admiration.


	2. Chapter 2

Hours upon hours passed, the planet finally descending into darkness, though the rain saw no signs of letting up. Between the two of them, Rudy and Mako had managed to save Jossryn before it had been too late, though her injuries were far more extensive than either of them had guessed.

Mako had agreed with RD141-L, or “Rudy” as she was now calling it, that the best medicine for Jossryn would be rest, and so she did on her bed where she had been transported once the most dangerous parts of her surgery had been completed. Unable to find it in herself to stray from her side, Mako sat next to her, head propped on a pillow and watched the news scrawl as it struggled through the storm.

Even though the glass was one way, Rudy had darkened the windows as a precaution and stood by the door without question. Mako had a million for him. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago, he had been pointing a gun at her and demanding her identification and now he doted upon them as if he had always been in her charge. It seemed strange. Sure droids were still programs and algorithms on the surface, but her experience suggested something more under the surface; bits of code that could never be codified that gave way to the closest thing to a personality that one could manufacture. She hadn’t yet checked him for restraining bolts, either.

That would come later. Now, was making sure that Jossryn stayed with her through the night.

Mako had removed her own armor but stayed in an olive green undershirt and sleep pants out of laziness and the desire to at least be somewhat comfortable with part of today. Mindful of the fact that Jossryn’s skin may be more sensitive than hers, Mako had insisted on keeping the air temperature in the room at a pleasant warmth. To her delight, Jossryn didn’t seem in any distress.

Mako had done her best to avoid nosing around in her things, but finding a set of clothing that wasn’t a part of a suit of armor of some kind had been more challenging than she joked about. Down in the bottom of her drawer, she had found something that looked old and nearly threadbare, but still enough to keep her warm. She wondered what it had been used for. Maybe some party, maybe it was left over from the person that used to be.

Admittedly, even in her travels, Mako didn’t know much except for anecdotes about the Rattataki...and the occasional dour-faced merchant she encountered. They were usually angry. Understandable, though, wasn’t it? She mused, resisting the urge to reach over and caress the Jossryn’s bald scalp.

 _Better not. She’d kill me._ Mako mused.

As she looked at the woman next to her, Jossryn stirred.“I feel like shit...” she murmured, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to focus them.

Mako’s heart palpitated out of both excitement and fear. “I would think so with what you went through.”

The sarcasm brought what looked to be as close of a smile as Jossryn could muster.

“Try not to move too much yet,” Mako said again, placing a hand on her.

It was enough to get Jossryn to stop. She looked up and blinked several times, finally focusing on Mako, the rest of the room, and the fact that the cool air hitting her face was unobstructed by a blast helmet or anything else obscuring her identity.

Something in between panic and irritation crossed the chiseled lines of her face. She struggled up to her elbows and then winced under what looked like a sharp pain and gave up.

“I told you,” Mako said evenly, trying to ignore the growing feeling of dread. She didn’t want to leave Jossryn’s side, but at the same time she remembered that until now, the bounty hunter had kept her face and body hidden. It still was not her place to ask questions, even though they were there.

Apologizing to Jossryn, Mako moved to leave the room only to be stopped by a shaky, but firm hand.

“No...” Jossryn said faintly and then cleared her throat. “Please don’t.”

“You were going to die otherwise,” Mako said, turning around. She still sat on the edge.

Jossryn hardened her expression, though her fingers remained curled around Mako’s wrist. She loosened her grip slightly and nodded. “And I remember asking you to let me.”

Mako opened her mouth only to be stopped by Jossryn.

“I’m not mad. Letting me die would have released you.”

At that Mako couldn’t help a laugh. “You let me stay here. Must I remind you that I’m no slouch in the field? It would be easy for me slip something into your food.”

“Do you even know what I eat?”

“I would have figured out the nutrition canisters in your suit eventually. Maybe after I had killed you in your sleep.” Mako flashed her a wry smile, earning an abrupted laugh. “Why do you hide from me?”

Jossryn made a face. “I hide from everybody. Do you know how much business we’d lose if I didn’t?”

“Your people are regarded as fierce warriors,” Mako responded.

“Yes, but we’re still ‘aliens,’” Jossryn said, emphasizing the last word with air quotes. “Our value to the Empire, and even to the Republic, only goes as far as how we can be used. Bounty Hunters, regardless of how either faction advertises our profession to the masses,” she waved a pale, tattooed hand at the monitor on the wall, “being a bounty hunter represents a certain type of freedom. Something that humans, in particular, feel threatened by; something that they would kill me over. Be it with a blaster or a blade, or through far more sinister means.”

“Starving you out,” Mako concluded.

Jossryn nodded. “And you too, if you’re with me.”

“Of course,” Mako said without thinking, letting her eyes trace over the lines of her powerful features, the jewelry as it glittered in the pale light of the room.

“Good...” Jossryn's mouth curled in a half smile that covered raw sadness that left Mako feeling cold. A ghost flickered in Jossryn’s gray eyes for a brief moment before being chased away by whatever it was she preferred to think about. Judging by the warmth and contortion of around her face it was her.

Mako laid back on the pillow just above her face and studied her. Every line, contortion, dimple, mole; the dramatic dark ink of her tattoos as they descended down her neck to the soft curves of her chest; the artful decoration of her jewels, pierced through the soft flesh of her nose and ears and were sewn into the soft skin of her scalp.

This was the woman whose side she shared over the past several months, the one she witnessed countless times throwing enemies over her shoulder, picking them off with frightening precision, laughing as the world around her erupted into flames and chaos. Oh how she lived for that, how Mako loved being there for all of it.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Mako leaned down and pressed her lips to Jossryn’s forehead. “Maybe I like being here with you,” she said softly.

Thunder from a passing storm rumbled from above the building and the sound of the rain against the windows grew louder. Jossryn looked unraveled. She reached up and grazed the skin and circuitry of Mako’s face with delicate fingers, exploring. Her eyes told her it had been years since anyone touched her and love was a memory more faded than these clothes she wore. What more lurked underneath this soul? Perhaps, in time, she would answer those question as well.

No more, Mako decided, nuzzling Jossryn with her nose and kissed her, letting her lips linger. Whatever happened was in the past. Trust only existed now. Thunder rumbled once more, echoing the storm that brewed in this small room as Mako brushed her tongue against Jossryn’s, trading reassurance for strength, promise. Fire burned at the ends of Jossryn's fingertips as they threaded through Mako's dark hair. Her breath caught while Jossryn let out a sigh that was more pain than it was pleasure.

“We shouldn’t do this now,” Mako breathed, breaking from the bounty hunter. Those gray eyes smoldered as though they were embers left from a bolt outside and protested the idea of stopping.

Jossryn was still a tactician and knew it was better than to argue. “Okay,” she relented, pulling Mako into one last kiss. “Lie with me then.”

“Okay,” Mako replied giving Jossryn a loving kiss on her cheek before laying her head on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the soothing sounds of her heartbeat. “Jossryn?”

“Hmm?”

“Tell me a story.”


End file.
